Bust of a Man

Anonymous wax modeller
17th century, Polychrome wax

The high quality of this bust lies in the intensity of the expression on the bearded face, whose gaze communicates worry or even anxiety. It was made by an anonymous waxworker and its style allows us to date it to the end of the 17th century or the very first decades of the Age of Enlightenment. The head was originally part of a mannequin, a wooden or terracotta figure with jointed limbs, covered in cloth, and was in all probability, given the emotion in the face, part of a religious grouping related to the Passion of Christ. Such almost ephemeral representations, given the fragility of the materials, were frequently created in southern Italy, in the area around Naples and in Sicily, where the custom of the Nativity scene was, and still is, widespread. Unfortunately, little is known about artists who created works in wax, and the excellent creator of this work remains anonymous.